Herpesviridae

noun plural

Her·​pes·​vi·​ri·​dae -ˈvir-ə-ˌdē How to pronounce Herpesviridae (audio)
: a family of double-stranded DNA viruses that consist of a spherical virion having the DNA contained in a central core surrounded by an icosahedral capsid, an amorphous layer of proteins, and an outer envelope consisting of a lipid bilayer and that include the cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus and the causative agents of chicken pox, equine coital exanthema, herpes simplex, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, infectious laryngotracheitis, malignant catarrhal fever, Marek's disease, pseudorabies, rhinopneumonitis, roseola infantum, and shingles see simplexvirus, varicellovirus

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Cite this Entry

“Herpesviridae.” Merriam-Webster.com Medical Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/Herpesviridae. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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